Issues with 100-400L Series - Help?

Hello all, I just indulged myself with an early christmas present, my first L series lens (100-400mm). I am not overjoyed with the results sadly, a rare bright day and birds happily standing for me and still I was not getting sharp images. Frustrated I tried all I know, turned off the IS, put it on a tripod, speed at 1250, all else auto, still not the WOW factor image I was after.

I have been wandering the forums while the rain and wind batters the windows looking for answers to my question, is it technique or do I have a duff lens which needs to go back? I've tried test shots but with the weather being so rough the light is terrible and so it is not fair to judge the results.

I bought the lens second hand from Mifsuds (they are great to deal with and are happy for me to return it) by post.

Birdsfurandfins wrote in post #16539163a rare bright day and birds happily standing for me and still I was not getting sharp images. Frustrated I tried all I know, turned off the IS, put it on a tripod, speed at 1250, all else auto, still not the WOW factor image I was after.

It mght boil down to technique. My 100-400 was my favourite birding lens until I bought the 500. With your camera on a tripod and 1/1250 shutter speed you should be getting sharp images, if your focus technique is accurate. For sitting birds, are you using single-point focus? Whatever you do, don't use any of the zone or all-point focus methods or you'll never get sharp shots. Now, for birds in flight against a clear sky or simple background, centre point expanded usually works best for me. Failing that, I'd ship it back and ask it be replaced.

IAN - Living life on the shores of the Wallace River in northern Nova Scotia, Canada :Canon 1D4, 1D-X, 1D-X II, almost enough glass. My Flickr.

I have an EF 100-400 mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM which most of the time has delivered mixed results. Sometimes the pictures look good, sometimes they are kind of blurred in a peculiar way. I've never had it investigated by any service center, but it could be that something isn't perfectly centered in my particular lens. Perhaps you're suffering from something similar?

Do you have any kind of filter on the lens? The 100-400L is notorious for producing poor results with filters attached.

With that shutter speed and using a tripod, you should be getting very good results with this lens. I get great results shooting wide open at 400mm as long as I use proper techniques and shutter speeds with my 100-400L -- both on a 7D and 5D3.

Do you have any sample to show?After buying 4005.6L i sold in a month because of bad result but it was not lens but it was technique (and that was my first lens), Since then i have used 600L and it was breeze. So like Sam mentioned, take a stationary target and use cable release and see how the result comes out.BTW 100-400L is not a bad lens at all.

My 100-400L is excellent at 400mm and f/5.6. My initial problems with it were me, not the lens. As mentioned, do NOT shoot this lens with filter. Also:

Always use a hood with this lens.Always use center AF-point with this lens.This IS on this lens is old-style - turn it off when shooting from a tripod.When shooting from a tripod, USE A REMOTE SHUTTER RELEASE.With this lens, ISO is your best buddy. For a shaky old man like me the IS helps with the viewfinder. It does little to nothing for the image at 400mm. Keep your ISO high enough to get 1/640. And the biggest tip of all: PRACTICE. This lens has a learning curve.

So, yes, I do use the center focus only, turn off the IS when on a tripod (does make a difference) and have tried again today with faster shutter speeds again but still no joy. I also tried putting it on a tripod and using the remote release. Still not what I would have expected from this lens. Perhaps I ask too much?

Attached are two cropped and compressed images, one was on the tripod (I assume trees don't move much), shutter speed 320, full zoom, remote release, ISO 1600. The other was in the field (or the sea rather) and was at full zoom, speed 1600, ISO800, hand release but with the lens stand on a rock and IS on function 1. Both on centre focus. Both with subject more or less the same distance away. I think they are both what I would call soft but I would bow to your combined knowledge if you tell me I am expecting too much!

Don't expect super crisp wide open aperture images, that's not the 100-400's strength. Its an excellent motorsports lens at sensible f/numbers and with a monopod. Birding is not my thing so I have never tried it on that subject.

Those photos are sub-par for a properly working 100-400L. I believe Lowner is selling the lens short. 24-70 II, it ain't! But it turns in a quite respectable performance at 400mm f/5.6. I'll post some shots when I get back to my own computer.

EOS5DC wrote in post #16539672Those photos are sub-par for a properly working 100-400L. I believe Lowner is selling the lens short. 24-70 II, it ain't! But it turns in a quite respectable performance at 400mm f/5.6. I'll post some shots when I get back to my own computer.

I would guess that the lens or body are not going so good. If your other lenses produce good images on your T1I, may be time to take the lens back. May be a good idea to try the replacement in the store before taking it home.

Unless you are a mile away and cropping aggressively, you should definitely get better results.

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